New entry system bars back-door deals: Parents

Leony Aurora, Jakarta

The new online system for admission to state senior high schools and vocational schools, implemented for the first time in Jakarta, provides no opening for backdoor negotiations or the use of special recommendations, parents say.

A mother of a junior high school graduate told The Jakarta Post on Monday, the third and last day of admission, that she had tried to "negotiate" with the principal of SMA 6 but to no avail.

"I submitted the admission forms today because my daughter only wants to go to SMA 6," she said at the school's premises. "I told her that her grades were not good enough, but she would not listen to me. Last night she almost ran away from home," she added in dismay.

Students are ranked based on their aggregate score in the national exams -- in Mathematics, English and Bahasa Indonesia. The daughter's score was slightly above 18, while the lowest score needed to gain admission to SMA 6 was 21.27.

In the admission system this year, students can list five preferred schools and a computer program at the Jakarta junior and senior high school education agency will rank them and find schools to match their academic performance and preference.

An employee at SMA 6, who declined to be identified, gave two thumbs up for the new system.

"I have been here since 1969, I know how backdoor deals are done," he said. "I used to 'help' some students to gain entry, then Kanwil (the city's national education agency) took over the process and the deals went on there.

"But this time, nobody outside the system can get in, not even if they're the children of generals," he added.

Up until 6:30 p.m. on Monday, some 65,023 forms had been entered into the agency's computer program, with 43,096 of them for senior high schools and 21,927 others for vocational schools.

The figures include 3,766 junior high graduates from outside the capital applying for senior high schools and 1,652 for vocational schools.

On the last day, schools were quiet except for a handful of parents roaming around.

"I've been to an Internet kiosk near my house to check my son's position," said Jafuri, a resident of Ciputat, South Jakarta. "But it's better to check directly at the school," he added, as he sat waiting for the clock to hit 4 p.m., when admissions were officially closed.

The final result will be announced on Tuesday at 8 a.m. at schools and on the agency's website. Students must enroll at their respective schools during the registration period, from July 13 to July 15.

The agency will hold a second admission period from July 16 to July 17 to fill any remaining spaces.

There are 31,669 seats in state senior high schools and 14,562 seats in vocational ones. Some 118,948 junior high school students graduated this year.

The total number of seats available in state and private senior and vocational high schools are 186,146, far exceeding the demand.